Since the release ofSpyro the Dragonon PS1 back in 1998, the purple dragon has seen his fair share of bad games over the years. From theLegend of Spyroreboot titles to theSkylandersseries, the character of Spyro has gone through several transformations, and not necessarily for the better. But in 2018, Activision gave fans what they wanted with theSpyro Reignited Trilogywhich brought the series back to its roots by very effectively remaking the originalSpyrotrilogy. The HD remake was praised by fans and critics alike, and currently sits at an impressive score of 82 on Metacritic.
Lately, Activison has been on a roll with Crash and Spyro, first with the orange marsupial’s return in 2017’sCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogyand then the following two years with both theReignited TrilogyandCrash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled. And now that Crash has officially received his first brand new entry in years in the form ofCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, it’s looking as though Spyro may be getting a similar treatment as well. Here’s what fans might be able to expect from a brand newSpyrogame.
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BothCrashandSpyrohave rather messy pasts, with loads of sequels and reboots that are best left forgotten. One smart thing thatCrash Bandicoot 4did was ignore every other game in the series other than the first three PlayStation 1 games. This allowed for the game to focus primarily on the canon that was re-established within theN. Sane Trilogyand successfully build off of it, using only the characters and lore introduced within the original Naughty Dog-developed titles. This also better allowed for longtime fans of the original games to be able to relate to the new game.
MostSpyrogames that followed after the PS1 originalsare rather mediocre, and contributed very little to the series overall. The nextSpyrogame should most definitely define itself asSpyro 4as the true fourth game in the series.
Something Familiar, But Still New
LikeCrash Bandicoot 4, the nextSpyrogame needs to offer something very familiar to fans while also still being unique and fresh. The reason thatCrash 4was received so well was the fact that it took the same gameplay already established from past titles and expanded upon it in interesting and new ways.Spyro 4should do the same: the series has always been largely focused on 3D platforming gameplay with a ton of collectibles, striking a balance between platforming and completing various missions. The next entry should alsobring back plenty of classic characterslike Hunter, Money Bags, and Ripto, but also shouldn’t be afraid to introduce brand new characters as well.
Spyro 4should probably go even further by also introducing a few new gameplay mechanics that help set itself apart from past games.TheSuper Mariofranchise, for example, does an excellent job of making each mainline game in the series feel unique by introducing brand new gameplay mechanics. When comparingSuper Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy, andSuper Mario Odyssey, each game is defined by its location and new power-ups. Likewise,Spyro 4needs to incorporate some fresh new ideas that will help set itself apart from past games, while still staying true to its overall identity.
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A Similar Structure
Spyrogames have a tried-and-true formula that has worked well in past titles, and the next game in the series should continue to stick to it. While most other 3D platformers usually only contain one single hub-world,Spyrosets itself apart structurally by having multiple hub-worlds. Each game in the original series consisted of several hub-worlds that each had several worlds of their own, bonus levels, anda boss to fight, along with plenty of characters for Spyro to interact with. The first game in the trilogy had six relatively small hub-worlds, while the second and third games had three and four larger hub-worlds each, respectively. This structure will mostly likely be kept for the series' upcoming entry.
Additionally, the next game needs to have a similar tone as the original games.Spyrohas always been a very kid-friendly and fun game series for all ages, and fans should expect that this will be the case for the next title. Also expect for some of Spyro’s biggest baddies like Gnasty Gnorc or Ripto to make an appearance, even if it’s only in the role of a side character.
Bigger and Better
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Timeis the biggest title in the franchise’s entire history, with 43 levels that take roughly 6-8 hours to get through in total. Players should expect something similar fromSpyroas well. The nextSpyrogame will likely be the series' biggest one yet, with more levels and worlds to play through than ever. Additionally, the nextSpyrogame could easily be the best game in the series yet, if done right.
But in order to achieve this,Spyro 4needs to successfully build upon past efforts while learning from old mistakes. It’s clear that the developers behind both Crash and Spyro’s new games hold a lot of love and passion for both franchises, and that love shows in the games themselves. The future is looking quite bright for the iconic purple dragon, and fans should expect his next adventure to be a big one.
